A picture is worth a thousand words. According to a study by Forrester Research, a video is worth about 1.8 million words. A fact like that is hard to ignore, which is why marketers from many industries have been using video for years now – including video marketing for pharma.
The boldest of pharma marketers have also ventured into using video for marketing to HCPs, KOLs and patients. However, as pharma is not that well-versed in the digital sphere, there’s a lot of unknown elements. Here is how to launch a successful video marketing campaign in pharma.
Make good use of your first 10 seconds
Did you know that more than 20% of viewers will stop watching your video after the first 10 seconds? This information is valid across industries, but it holds true in pharma as well. Since physicians are overburdened with patients and paperwork, they don’t have a lot of time to watch pharma company videos. Therefore, it’s best to use the first 10 seconds to get them hooked. Ask an provoking question, present some completely new data, tease them with the content that is only about to show up. In any case – give them a reason to continue playing instead of hitting that X button.
To go deeper into the subject, 30% of viewers drop off by 30 seconds, 45% by 1 minute and 60% of them will be gone by the 2-minute mark. It is interesting that these numbers stay the same, no matter if your video is 1 minute or 20 minutes long. However, at BlueNovius, we found that 90 seconds is the ideal mark that holds physicians’ attention and that’s why our animated medical explainer videos are never longer than 90 seconds.
Choose the right format
When they think of video marketing, most marketers imagine a studio setting with cameras and professional lighting, coupled with a few actors. However, the nature of pharma makes this kind of videos unsuitable for marketing purposes.
Instead of opting for traditional videos recorded with actors in a studio, pharma companies can use animated medical explainer videos. Compared to more traditional video marketing, they have several benefits:
– It’s easier to pinpoint key scientific data
– They are shorter on average and capture attention better
– They are cheaper to make
– You can adapt and translate them more easily
Instead of hiring professional actors and a studio to conceptualize your video, you can simply hire professionals to create a medical explainer video that conveys your message clearly. Whether you need help with launching a new product or raising awareness about a specific disease, a medical explainer video does the job perfectly.
Prepare a script
Remember how we said that video conveys 1.8 million words? You have to be very careful with the words you choose, especially if the video you’re creating is fairly short. Many pharma marketers make the mistake of trying to cram too much information into their videos and as a result, physicians are completely lost. In a sea of information about a product, they can’t remember the most important data.
For this reason, it’s important to have a professional script writer. Just like any other type of writing, it requires specific talents and medical knowledge. For the purposes of pharma marketing, it’s best to hire someone with a medical background who knows their way around pharma and knows how to do scientific research.
A great scriptwriter will be able to select the most important information for your medical explainer video and present it in an engaging way. For example, if you’re preparing a video about your latest scientific publication, a great writer will be able to pinpoint how a new product helps improve patient outcomes, with relevant and well-presented data.
Use videos in emails
By far, email is still the most effective channel of communication for HCPs. However, many pharma companies miss the mark when it comes to reaching physicians via email. If HCPs just aren’t opening your email, a video may be the help you need.
The first email you send is the most crucial one. In a 2010 study, one company found that if you include a video in your introductory email, the click-through rate jumps up by 96%. That’s double the number of people who come to your pharma website landing pages. In another research, it was found that a video in the first email lowers the unsubscriptions by 75%.
Beyond the introduction, video just makes sense and goes hand in hand with email. In research by Forrester Marketing Group, it was found that when you include a marketing or explainer video in any email, the click-through rates jump up by 200-300%.
The best strategies in video marketing for pharma
Do you want to start with video marketing for your pharma company but you’re completely lost on what to do? Let us give you a helping hand. At BlueNovius, we helped over 50 pharma companies across the world in their video marketing campaigns. Whether it’s outlining your latest scientific publication or making an explainer video about a disease, we’ve got your back.
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